Filing unit



WITNESS; Q

' S. RINGER FILING UNIT Filed June so; 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ya v may 1 1 A TTORNEY.

Jan. 22, 1924. 1,481,561 S. RINGER FIL IIIIII T Filed June 30, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS:

ATTORNEY." j v Patented Jan. 22, 192.4.

SOREN RING-ER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILING UNIT.

Application filed June 30,1920, Serial N'o. 392,920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SoREN FINGER, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Filing Unit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to furniture, and has more particular reference to filing cabinets and the like, in which drawers or similar compartments are used for filing and storage purposes.

- As heretofore constructed, these filing units or drawers, have been completely constructed and assembled at the factory so that each of them occupies a space equal to its cubical area, thus requiring considerable space for shipment. 7

One of the primary purposes of my prescut invention is to provide a filing unit or drawer in which the rear ends of the side walls are not permanently connected together at the factory, but are capable of separation, one from the other, so that a series of these units may be nested one within the other, with the result that they occupy a minimum amount of space in'shipment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a unit which, while shipped in nested 3o condition, may be quickly and easily assembled by the purchaser, who connects the rear ends of the side walls together to (form a strong and rigid construction.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate the index or data bearing card holders, or clips with which the front face of filing units are customarily equipped to indicate their contents, and with this end in view, I'have provided the front wall with one or more sight openings, and have made provision for retaining within the-unit itself, but in juxtaposition to the inner face of the front wall, a data bearing card which is retained in position so that it "may be ob served through such sight openings.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, as the samebecomes better understood, by ref- 5 erence to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a filing unit embodying my invention;

Fig. is a similar view, a portion of the unit bemg broken away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the data bearing card with which my improved unit is equipped;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 1 showing the side walls connected together at their rear ends;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the rear ends of the side walls disconnected and separated for nesting purposes;

tom;

Fig. 10 is a rear perspective view partially in section, showing another method of connecting the side walls; 1

Fig. 11 is a detail of one of the cross connecting bars of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the construction shown in Fig. 10; I

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing another means for connecting the side walls;

Fig. 14: is a similar view showing the bottom of the side w'alls provided with guideways to receive a detachable bottom;

Fig 15 show the bottom applicable to the drawer of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing another method of connecting theside walls;

Fig. 17 is a detail of the cross connecting bar applicable to the drawer in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 shows still another manner of connecting the bottom to the side walls;

Fig. 19 is a detail of the bottom shown in Fig; 18; I

Fig. 20 is a detail of one of the cross strips;

Fig. 21 shows still another means for con: necting the bottoms of the side walls; and

.Fig. 22 is a detail of the side wall connecting means shown in Fig. 21.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, reference character 25 indicates the front wall, and 26 and 27 the side walls respectivelyof a filing unit embodying my invention These Side walls and the front wall are preferably made from a single sheet of metal so that the side walls are integrally connected at their forward ends to opposite sides of the front wall. The front wall is provided at its lower edge with an inwardly extending flange 28 and the side walls 26 and 27 are similarly provided with inwardly eX- tending flanges 29 and 31 respectively. T hose flanges are adapted to form a support upon which the detachable bottom 32 (Fig. 9) is adapted to rest.

Instead of equipping the outer front face of the front wall with a clip or other form of index card holder, my invention contemplates the provision of one or more sight openings 33 in the front wall and the upper edge of this wall is bent inwardly and then downwardly to form a retaining device 34 in the form of a downwardly opening groove or slot adapted to receive the upper end of a data bearing card illustrated in Fig. 3. This card shaped to fit against the inner face of the front wall with its upper end engaged in the retainingdevice 34 whereby it is held in position rearwa'r-dly of the sight openings. where it can be readily observed. This card may have data as to the contents of the drawer printed directly thereon, if preferred, but to facilitate the changing of the data from time to time as occasion requires, I prefer to have the data carried by another or secondary card 36, which is supported on the front face of the main card 35 by lips 37 struck out from the body of the card A sheet of celluloid, glass, 'or other transparent material may be disposed over the face of the card 36 if desired, to keep the same clean. When the card 35 is positioned in the drawer against the inner face of the front wall 25, it is further held in place by the files which are disposed longitudinally in the drawer and the data carried by the secondary card 36 is presented for observation through the sight openings 33, while at the same time, the card 35 prevents the entrance of dust or dirt into the drawer. It will be manifest that the data cards can be quickly changed and that the front face of the drawer is left smooth and free from the usual data card carrying clips or holders. The front wall is also preferably provided with a plurality of keyhole slots 38 to facilitate the attachment of a handle to the drawer.

The connection of the side Walls at their front edges only, permits, due to the flexibility of the metal, the rear ends to be spread apart, as shown in Fig. 5, so that another similar unit can be nested within the unit shown, and this nesting can be continued so that a' large number of units nested together will occupy but a small amount of space for shipment. In order, however, that the side Walls may be con nected together to form a rigid and substantial construction for use, I have provided means by which the purchaser or user may effect such a connection between the side walls. The form of connection shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprises a loop 39, preferably made of wire and hinged to the side wall 26 at 41, so that this loop is free to swing from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted line posit-ion shown in this figure, or, referring to Fig. 5, from the dotted line position to the full line position against the face of the wall 26. When nesting the units for shipment, the connecting members '39 are all swung to the full line position shown in Fig. The rear end of the side wall 27 is provided with an inturned hook 42, formed integrally with the wall. In order to connect the rear ends of the side walls together, it is only necessary to engage the free end of the loop 39 with the hook 42 to thereby securely connec't the side walls together. The bottom 32 may then be inserted from the rear end of the drawer and the rear end of the bottom, which is upturned and provided with a hooked flange 43, may be engaged over the lower member of the loop 39 to serve the dual purpose of holding the bottom against longitudinal displacement and retaining the loop 39 in engagement with its hook 42. The bottom 32 is adapted to fit snugly between the side walls of the unit, and consequently, adds rigidity to the structure.

In Figs. 6, and 7, I have shown a modified form of connection consisting of a cross bar or member 44 of inverted U-shape, and the rear end of each side wall is equipped with an elongated eye 45 with which the member 44 may be engaged by inserting the downwardly projecting prongs into these eyes, thereby rigidly connecting the rear ends of the side walls together.

In Figs. l0, l1 and 12, I have shown a11- other method of connecting the side walls, which may be used independently of or in conjunction with the cross member 44. In this instance, the inwardly extending flanges 46 and 47 of the side walls 26 and 27 respectively are slotted longitudinally and? then bent upwardly between the slots to provide loops 4S beneath which flat cross bars 49 are inserted. To retain the parts against disengagement, the bars 49 are preferably provided near their ends with openings 51, and after the parts are assembled the loops 48 may be bent downwardly into these openings by means of a punch and hammer, thus securely locking the parts together.:

Another method of connecting the side walls is illustrated in Fig. 13, wherein it will be observed that the walls are connected with toggle links 52 which will straighten out to permit separation of the side Walls for nesting purposes, but when partially collapsed as shown, serve in conjunction with the cross member 44 to connect the side walls together and insure a rigid construction.

The cross bar 44; is customarily employed not only for connecting the side walls together, but also as a means of support for the follower or holder which retains the files in the drawer in upright position. If no such holder is required, the side walls and the bottom themselves may be con structed for interlocking engagement to hold the side walls in proper relation. Such construction is illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, wherein it will be observed that the flanges at the bottoms of the sides walls are formed to provide guideways 53 of grooved or rabbeted form, and the bottom 54 is equipped at its edges with downwardly and inwardly extending flanges 55 adapted to slidingly engage the grooves 53 upon longitudinal movement of the bottom into the drawer from the rear end, thus locking the parts rigidly together.

Another method of connecting the side walls is shown in Figs. 16 and 17 wherein the bottom flanges 29 and 31 are provided with upwardly extending studs or ears 56 struck up from the body of the metal itself and adapted to be engaged in slots or apertures 57 formed in the cross bars 58. These cross bars are simply dropped into position between the side walls and over the tongues 56 and when the bottom is placed thereover, the cross bars will be held against displace ment.

Another method of utilizing the bottom itself as a connection between the side walls is shown in Figs. 18 to 20 inclusive, from an inspection of which it will be observed that the bottoms of the side walls are provided with downwardly and outwardly projecting tongues 59 and the bottom 61 is equipped with upwardly and inwardly extending flanges 62 adapted to be slidingly engaged with the tongues or flanges 59. In this instance, the bottom is slid into position from the front and a vertical flange 63 at the front end of the bottom lies against the lower portion ofthe front wall 25. To prevent accidental displacement of the bottom, I prefer to employ cross members 64 of the shape illustrated in Fig. 20, which are slid into position above the bottom and between the tongues 59 to prevent the bottoms of the side walls from springing inwardly or becoming accidentally disengaged from the flanges of the bottom proper.

Still another method of connecting the side walls is illustrated in Figs. 21 and 22, from which it will be observed that the lower edges of the side walls are provided with inwardly and upwardly projecting flanges 65, and in conjunction therewith, I employ channel shaped cross members 66 having downwardly projecting flanges 67 at their ends adapted to engage in the grooves formed by the flanges 65. For the purpose of locking the parts together, each cross member 66 is provided with a member 68 pivoted thereto intermediate its ends at 69 and adapted after the members 66 have been positioned to be swung from the transverse position shown in Fig. 22 and in dotted lines in Fig. 21, into position longitudinally of the cross members so that the flanges 65 are clamped between the ends of the members 68 and the flanges 67 of the cross members, thus securely locking the parts together.

It is believed that my invention, its preferred mode of construction and many of its inherent advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further description, but it should be obvious that the structural details illustrated and described are capable of wide modification and variation within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

A filing unit, comprising integrally formed front and side walls having their lower edges inturned to provide bottom supporting flanges, said front wall being provided with a plurality of sight openings and having its upper edge rolled inwardly and down wardly to provide a downwardly opening groove adapted to receive a data card, a detachable bottom supported by said flanges, and a member unconnected to said bottom detachably connecting the rear ends of said side walls together to maintain the same in fixed relation, said member being adapted for disconnection to permit the separation of said side walls for nesting purposes.

- SOREN RINGER. 

